Gun platform



June 10, 1947. M. MAESER 2,421,794

- GUN -PLATFORM Filed Nov. 19 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 [nvenior Mz'et/z Maeser M. .MAESER GUN- PLATFORM June 10, 1947.

Filed NOV. 19, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I E1 Inventor .Mz'eth Maeoer June 10, 1947. MJMAESER GUN-PLATFORM Filed Nov. 19, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented June 10, 1947 GUN PLATFORM Mieth- Maeser, Beverly, Mass, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Flemington,

Application November 19, 1943, Serial No. 519,989

13 Claims.

1 Thisinvention relates to a platform upon which such objects as guns may be supported, and is particularly concerned with a wheeled platform which may be set up 111 a fixed position for the apex of the side-bars. To facilitate this operation and to guard against the entrance of dirt to the wheel-bearings. each rear wheel and its axle constitutes a unit, the axle being separably firing of the gun, or may be mounted upon its 5 attached to the axle-bar. The assembling of wheels for transfer from one point to another. these Wheel-units with the frame is made easy The invention has as an object the provision and their security insured by bores in the axleof platformof. the character indicated above, r d r asin in d a t r inwar y, a d o which, when demounted, will furnish a stable sponding portions of the axles fitting the bores, support for the gun during discharge, yet which together with means, in the form of a tap ed is so small and light that it may be transformed y, for o i the aXle into Place and retaining quickly into a compact wheeled carria e b relait. To attach the forward truck to the platform, tivel-y few men, the arrangement of the parts bea vertical sleeve is preferably secured to the apex ing. of such, a character that handling is facilitaof the side-bars, and the truck has plates extendted. With this end, in View, my improved piatin above and below the ends of the sleeve, in form has a, central support for the gun, to the which plat s ar op ni f r tr i n W th opposite sides of which support bars are secured, the p a e through the sleeve. In the open these diverging rearwardly from anapex to points and passa e a pintle is received a a a ed eyOnd the support, they being connected by a similarly to the rear axles and their receiving crossbar-.at the rear of said support. Such a openings-in the axle-bar. To guard against rollstructure alone furnishes well-placed areas to re- Out Of p t the truck y be locked n sist overthrow. It is, moreover, a light skeletonlongitudinal alinement With the platformframe, the side-bars being in the form of channel- In the accompa ying drawings illustrating a bars and the crossbar an angle-bar. The frame p c r m of t invention, is further stayed. by an axle-bar connected. be- Fig. 1 shows my improved platform in side tween the: side-bars at the rear of the crossbar elevation, mounted upon its wheels and carrying and adapted to receive wheels. The gun-supa u port is preferably a ring resting upon the upper Fig. 2- is a top plan view of the platform, with flanges of the channel-bars and upon the upper p ts b o aWay a e gun O tted, t restarmof the angle-bar, to which it is secured. The 39 s p the ground With i W ee em ed in ring may be strengthened by a chord extending firing position; betweenits sides and by depending flanges upon ga front elevation of the parts app a the ring and chord. Openings through which the in Fig. 2; gun-standard is bolted to. the ring are strength- F g. 4, a top p View Of e fOrWaPd e cued by plates secured at thei opposite ides, ity of the frame with the attached truck, portions there bein bolt-retaining means between the being in section; plates. All the connections between the frame- Fig. 5, a vertical section through one end of members are furnished by Welds. the axle-bar, together with the attached axle and To increase the stability of the platform when the hub of the surrounding wheel; in its fixed position, braces are preferably pivot- 40 Fig. 6, an enlarged vertical sectional detail ed to the side bars at opposite sides of the centhrough h sunpp in rin an h ros tralsupport. Each brace may be held. in its ac bar of the frame on the line VIVI of Fig. tive relation, extending from its side-bar, by a Fig. 7, a like view of the connection. between single pivoted stay engaging the sidebar and the ring and the side-bar of the frame on the brace and being secured to said brace both when line VII-VII of Fig. 2; this is active and inactive. Adequate contact- Fig. 8, a similar view through the ring and its area with the ground or other supporting surface chord on the line VIIIVIII of Fig. 2; is provided by feet in the form of plates secured Fig. 9, an enlarged vertical sectional detail of to the frame and its braces. a portion of which the pivotal connection between one of the braces feet. are at points distributed at substantially uniand the frame, taken on the line IXIX of Fig. 2; form. angles about the center of the support and Fig. 10, a similar view on the line X-X of Fig. 4, at substantially equal distances from said center. showing the connection between the frame and When the locations of the platform and gun the forward truck; and are-to be changed, rear wheels are applied to the Fig. 11, an enlarged broken vertical section ends of the axle-bar and a towing truck to the through the tool-box on the line XI-XI of Fig. 2.

Throughout these figures, welded joints are represented by dotted hachuring.

The platform has a body-portion in the form of a skeleton-frame P, preferably consisting chiefly of structural steel-shapes, the opposite sides of which frame are furnished by channelbars l8, l8 having their webs vertical and turned outwardly. These bars diverge to the rear from a vertical sleeve 12 to the opposite sides of which they are welded. The structure here is stiffened by trapeziform plates l3, l3 welded to the edges of the upper and lower flanges of the bars lil (Figs. 2 and 10). These bars are joined at points spaced from their opposite or rear extremities by a stay provided by a cross anglebar l4, having a horizontal arm welded flush to the upper flange of each channel-bar and a vertical arm extending between the flanges and welded to the web of each channel-bar (Fig. 11) Beyond the crossbar, the upper flange of each side-bar is inclined downwardly toward the end. Through openings in the webs of the side-bars, between the crossbar l4 and their ends, extends a tubular axle-bar l6 welded to the side-bars and furnishing an additional stay. The outer ends of the axle-bar are reinforced by opposite ribs l8, l8, welded to them and to the webs of the sidebars. The use of this axle-bar for mounting the rear wheels, which transform the platform into a carriage, will later be explained. Resting upon the upper flanges of the side-bars ill, I!) and upon the crossbar I4, and preferably extending to their outer edges, is a ring 253 welded to the supporting bars. The ring has integral with it a chord 22 lying between the resting points upon the side-bars. To the inner circumference of the ring is welded a depending flange 24-, while opposite flanges 2B, 2B are welded to the edges of the chord and at their ends to the ring-flange and to the side-bars (Fig. 8). The ring provides the support for the circular base 28 of the standard 29 of a gun G, which is to be mounted. In this base are a series of openings 38 through which bolts 32 pass into registering openings 3 in the ring 28. At each side of each opening, save that at the rear, the ring is strengthened by opposite vertical transverse plates 36, 33. Each of the plates 35, as viewed in side elevation, is triangular, the upper and vertical edges of the plates being welded to the ring 20 and flange 24,

respectively (Fig. 8). Each of the other plates 38. at one end, is similarly welded to the ring 26 and flange 24 and extends outwardly to one of the side-bars Ill, where it is welded to the web and to the upper flange of the adjacent side-bar (Fig. '7). Between the plates 35 and 38, against the under side of the ring, a horizontal plate 40 is welded, this having a depression 42 to receive the head of the bolt 32 and prevent it from turning when the nut 33 is being set down upon the base 26. At the rear opening 34 the plates 36, 36 are welded to both arms of the crossbar M (Fig. 6). Between this crossbar and the axle-bar IS a sheet-metal tool-box 46 is supported (Fig. 11) the top conforming to the inclination of the side-bars and being welded at the ends to these side-bars (Fig. 2) and at the forward wall to the crossbar (Fig. 11). The box has a cover formed in sections 68, 48, retained at their inner edges 39 beneath the upper arm of the crossbar and at the outer or rear edges by a series of hooked spring-catches 50. Near the center, the box is stiffened by a sectional strip El welded about it and at its upper forward extremity to the crossbar M, the upper portion furnishing a support for the inner ends of the cover-sections.

Since the platform as above described is intended to furnish a stable mounting for the gun during its firing, it is provided with the following means for engagement with the ground or other surface upon which it is to be supported. Near the apex of the platform, just at the rear of the filler-plates l3, vertical plates 52, 52 are spaced from each other (Fig. 10), they resting upon the lower flanges of the side-bars l0, i5. They are welded to these flanges, and at their ends to the webs of the bars. To them, below the side-bars, a plate 5:5 is welded, this furnishing a foot. To the side-bars, near the opposite sides of the ring it, two additional feet 55, 56 are secured, a plurality of interposed spacers 57 being welded to them and to the lower flanges of the side-bars. At the rear extremities of the side-bars feet 53, 58 are similarly attached. Through the upper and lower flanges of the bars and through the feet 58 downwardly and forwardly inclined openings 60 are formed, to permit spikes or spades to be driven through them into the ground, these preventing displacement of the platform when in firing position. For the same purpose, the plate 54 has an opening (ii. The feet 56 give direct vertical support to the mounted gun, While the feet 54 and 58 provide well-spaced areas of engagement fore and aft to retain it against overturning.

To give adequate lateral resistance to overthrow without adding appreciably to the bulk of the platform when being moved, there is at each side a brace furnished by a pivoted arm 62. Each arm may be in the form of a channel-bar with its upper flange inclined downwardly and outwardly from the pivot. To the outer sides of the upper and lower flanges, hinge-plates 64, 64 are welded, the flanges between the hinge-plates being stiffened by a vertical plate 66 welded to them. The plates 66, 64 of each arm respectively lie above and below the hinge-plates 68, B8, welded to the outer side of the web of one of the sidebars Ill opposite the rear portion of the ring 20. To allow each arm 82 to turn upon its pivot without play, and so resist effectively the shock of gun-discharge and to permit any wear to be taken up readily, the pivotal openings H3, H3 in the plates 64 (Fig. 9) are conical, they converg ing inwardly, while the conical registering openings l2, F2 in the plates 68 are oppositely inclined. A bolt M passing through each pair of openings 6, 72 has a conical head 16 seated in the former, and is surrounded by a divided conical washer l8 within the latter. Upon each bolt are a nut and lock-nut 8B, which when tightened draw the hingeand bar-plates together without the possibility of lateral movement or side-play, and permit this condition to be maintained as wear is introduced. At the end of each bracearm opposite its pivot, a foot-plate 82 is carried at the underside, it being spaced from the lower flange of the channel by a plurality of bars B l welded to both. The two feet 82 lie in the plane of the feet 54, 53 and 58. A downwardly and in- Wardly inclined opening 85, through the flanges of the brace and through each foot, allows the driving through it of a spike or spade, as for the feet 5 and 58. Each brace has two normal positions, either folded against the corresponding side-bar ill when the platform is in transit, or extended when said platform is fixed for the operation of the mounted gun. In the latter relation, the brace may be secured by a Sty-arm 83. Each stay-arm is pivoted by a pin 99 between projections 92, 92 from the web of the corresponding side-bar, and has at its outer extremity a vertical opening 94. With the brace folded forward in its inactive position against the side-bar, the opening may be brought into registration with openings in spaced projections 98, 98 from the web of said brace. Here it may be secured by a pin I passing through the openings and attached to the brace by a chain I02. The folded brace is secured by a pin I04 similarly attached and received in vertical openings in spaced bloclm I 86, I06 welded to the inner sides of the upper and lower flanges of the brace and in a projection I08 from the side-bar. With each brace in its active position at right angles to the side-bar, the pin I84 is received in the stay-opening 94 and in the brace-openings in the blocks I06. The pin I00 may be supported idly in the projections 08.

To facilitate the transportation of the platform and mounted gun from place to place, it is provided with a pair of rear wheels I20, I20 and a forward wheel I22, all of which may readily be applied and removed. Each of the wheels I20 is received upon one end of the axle-bar I6. The manner of mounting the wheels I20 is the same, so only one will be described. In the axle-bar is a stepped axial bore of two diameters, the inner portion I24 being less than the outer I26 (Fig- Opening into the bore- I26 through the top and bottom of the bar are vertically alined slots I28, I28. The bore IZd, I25 receives the shank of an axle I30. Upon this axle the wheel I20 is rotatable between an inner flange I34 integral with the axle and an outer washer I36 retained in place by a cotter-pin I68 passing through the washer and axle. The shank of the axle is stepped, it being shown as having a, short tapered end I40 followed by a cylindrical portion I42 fitting the portion I24 of the bore. From this, a tapered portion I00 leads to a cylindrical portion I40 of maximum diameter extending to the flange I34 and fitting the bore I20. Through the shankportion I46 is a slot I I-8, having its inner wall I50 inclined downwardly and outwardly and which may be brought into registration with the barslots I28. With the axle-shank in the axlebarbore and the slot I68 alined with the slots I28, a key I52 may be inserted from above and driven into place. The key is tapered or wedge-shaped,

with its inner edge I50 inclined complementally to the wall I50 of the slot I48 and contacting therewith. Between the inclined edge I54 of the key and the adjacent ends of the slots I28 and between the opposite outer edge of the key and the opposed wall of the shank are clearance spaces. The effect of the insertion of the key, with the resulting pressure of the key-edge I54 against the shank-wall I50, is to force the flange I34 firmly against the end of the axle-bar, and retain the axle and shank securely in place. During application and removal, the axle and wheel remain a unit without occasion for separation. When the axle-shank is applied to the bore in the axle-bar, its tapered end I40 leads the way for the portion I02 into the bore I20. This alines the axis of the shank with that of the bore, so when the shank-portion I66 reaches the bore I28 it is guided in. The effort required in applying the axle and its wheel to the bar is thus minimized. In disassembling, the key is knocked out, leaving the axle and wheel free for removal. The key may be kept with the platform by a chain I56, which secures them together.

The forward wheel I22 is rotatable upon a pivoted truck or limber, designated as a whole by F.

This truck is in the form of a yoke, the spaced arms I64, I64 of which are furnished by shallow channel-bars having their upper and lower flanges converging forwardly. At the rear they are joined by being welded to upper and lower horizontal plates I66 and I68, respectively (Fig. 10), so spaced that they extend just above and below the ends of the vertical sleeve I2 at the apex of the platform. The horizontal plates are stayed by a transverse vertical plate I69 welded to them. In the plates I66 and I68 are openings I10 and I12, respectively, axially alined with the passage I14 through the sleeve. To the underside of the upper plate, about its opening I10, a ring I16 is welded to give a limited surface bearing upon the end of the sleeve. The truck is separably pivoted to the platform by a pintle I18 passing through the openings I10, I14 and I12. The openings and pintle have portions of different diameters, similar in relation and functions to those of the shank of the axle I30 and its receiving bore in the axle-bar. That is, the pintle has a leader I80, the end of which is tapered and above this is a larger portion I82 fitting the plateopening I12 and the lower reduced portion I84 of the sleeve-passage I14. Next is a portion I between which and the passage is a clearancespace serving as a reservoir for a lubricant, followed by a portion I88 fitting the upper portion of the passage of maximum diameter. Finally, the head or terminal fits within the plate-opening I10. A hand-hold I80 projecting from the head facilitates the manipulation of the pintle. Contact between a shoulder I90 at the juncture of the bore-portion I84 and the main bore I14 and I8. shoulder I 92 between the portions I86 and I88 of the pintle, limits the downward movement of said pintle. Upward displacement and the entrance of dust and the like are prevented by a cover-plate I94, pivoted at I96 upon the upper plate I66 and held normally closed by a thumbscrew I98 threaded into the plate. The whee-l I22 of the truck turns about an axle-rod 200. This passes through horizontally alined openings 202, 202 in the forward extremities of the yokearms I66. Outside the yoke-arms, openings in the ends of a forked handle 206 receive the axlerod, so said handle may be swung. vertically upon the rod to conform to the direction of pull in towing. A head 2051' upon one end of the rod and a washer 2 I 0 secured by a cotter-pin 2 I2 upon the. other end engage the outer sides of the branches of the handle. A crossbar 2M passing horizontally through the outer end of the handle furnishes a hand-hold, and a stay 2 I 6 between the branches strengthens it. When the platform, on its wheels, is left upon an irregular surface or incline, its truck F may tend to so turn that the platform will roll out of position. To prevent this, the truck may be locked in longitudinal alinement with the platform by such means as one of the spikes which are used to secure the feet. This spike is passed through openings 220-, 220 in rearward extensions 222, 222 of the plates I56 and H58 and openings 220, 22s in the frameplates I3, I3, registration of the openings 222 and 224 being established-when the truck is in the desired position.

Assuming that initially the platform P is set up for gun-discharge, the forward truck F and the rear wheels I20, with their axles I30, have been removed. The bracing arms 62,. 62 are extended at right angles to the side bars I0, I0, they being held in. the correct relation by the stay-arms 88', 80, which, respectively, join each arm 62 to the 7 corresponding side-bar. This is as appears at the front of Fig. 2. All the foot-plates 54, 56, 58 and 82 rest upon the ground to carry and brace the platform, the feet 56 beneath the gun-supporting ring 20 being efiective to carry directly the weight of the gun and its standard. The remaining feet are distributed about the center of the ring at points which lie approximately at the ends of the radii of a pentagon. Consequently, they are so placed as to angular relation and distance from the center that they offer equal and adequate resistance to the displacement of the platform upon the discharge of the gun in any direction. Because of the character of the pivots for the bracing arms furnished by the conical engaging surfaces at 10, 16 and l2, iii, a comparatively rigid connection may be at all times maintained, in spite of the turning of the arms and the shocks to which the gun-discharge subjects them.

When the platform and gun are to be moved to another location, the stay-arms are disengaged from the bracing arms and both pairs of arms folded against the side-bars. This, as shown at the rear of Fig. 2, gives the platform a small average lateral extension. Because of its skeleton-frame made up of light structural shapes, the platform adds relatively little to the weight of the gun and may easily be lifted from the ground by a small group of men. The shanks of the axles 139, with the wheels I29 upon them, are inserted in the bores in the ends of the axlebar [6 with the slots of the shanks and bar in registration, the stepped arrangement of the shanks and bore-portions making this easy. Then the keys I52 are driven into place to secure the wheel-units upon the frame. Because of the constant association of the wheels and axles, dirt is at all times excluded from the bearings. The plates l'lil, I72 of the forward truck F, carrying the wheel 522 upon its axle-rod 299, are placed upon opposite ends of the frame-sleeve 52, with the stepped plateand sleeve-openings alined, and are pivotally connected by the stepped pintle I18. The platform is now ready for towing by the handle 206.

It is to be noted that at all times, whether in motion or arranged for firing the mounted gun, the platform-frame is a unitary structure having all its elements welded to one another and with 1 nothing to work loose. The portion bearing the direct weight of the gun offers great resistance to bending. The ring 25] receives support about a considerable extent of its circumference from the side-bars l0, l8 and the crossbar [4. It is stiffened by its flange 24 and braced transversely by its chord 22 with the flanges 26, said flanges being joined to the side-bars. It is further strengthened by the radially arranged plates 35, 38, with their connection to the side-bars. As to the remainder of the frame, the side-bars are securely joined by the central portion, as just pointed out, and. at the contracted front or apex by the sleeve 12, the horizontal plates l3 and the vertical plates 52, the latter also carrying the foot-plate 54. At the diverging rear of the side-bars, the crossbar l4 ties them in such a manner as to resist bending, both horizontally and vertically, to which is added the effect of the axle-bar it.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A gun-platform having a central support on which the gun may be mounted, bars secured to the support at opposite sides and meeting at an 8 apex, said bars diverging rearwardly to points beyond the support, a crossbar secured to the side-bars and to the rear of the support, and an axle-bar connecting the side-bars at the rear of the crossbar and adapted to receive wheels.

2. A gun-platform including channel-bars diverging rearwardly and with their webs at the outer sides, an angle-bar extending between the flanges of the channel-bars at points toward their rear extremities and having an upper horizontal arm lying in the plane of the uppe flanges of the channel-bars, welds connecting the angle-bar to the webs and upper flanges of the channelbars, a gun-supporting ring resting upon the upper flanges of the channel-bars and the upper arm of the angle-bar, and welds connecting the ring to the channel-bars and angle-bar.

3. A gun-platform including channel-bars diverging rearwardly and with their webs at the outer sides, an angle-bar extending between the flanges of the channel-bars at points toward their rear extremities and having an upper horizontal arm lying in the plane of the upper flanges of the channel-bars, and a gun-supporting ring resting upon th upper flanges of the channel-bars and the upper arm of the angle-bar and secured thereto, the ring having a chord extending between points adjacent to the points of support of said ring upon the channel-bars, there being depending flanges from the inner circumference of the ring and the edges of the chord the chordflanges being secured to the channel-bars.

4. A gun-platform including channel-bars diverging rearwardly and with their webs at the outer sides, an angle-bar extending between the flanges of the channel-bars at points toward their rear extremities and having an upper horizontal arm lying in the :plane of the upper flanges of the channel-bars, welds connecting the angle-bar and channel-bars, a gun-supporting ring resting upon the upper flanges of the channel-bars and the upper arm of the angle-bar, the ring having a chord extending between points adjacent to the points of support of said ring upon the channelbars, there being depending flanges from the inner circumference of the ring and the edges of the chord, welds connecting the ring to the upper surfaces of the channel-bars and angle-bar, and welds connecting flanges of the chord to the flange of the ring and to the channel-bars.

5. A gun-platform including channel-bars diverging rearwardly and with their webs at the outer sides, an angle-bar extending between the flanges of the channel-bars at points toward their rear extremities and having an upper horizontal arm lying in the plane of the upper flanges of the channel-bars, a gun-supporting ring resting upon the upper flanges of the channel-bars and the upper arm of the angle-ba and being provided with bolt-receiving openings and with a depending flange, and a strengthening plate secured to the ring and to the flange at each side of each opening, one of said plates being also secured to the adjacent channel-bar.

6. A gun-platform including channel-bars diverging rearwardly and with their webs at the outer sides, an angle-bar extending between the flanges of the channel-bars at points toward their rear extremities and having an upper horizontal arm lying in the plane of the upper flanges of the channel-bars, a gun-supporting ring resting upon the upper flanges of the channel-bars and the upper arm of the angle-bar and being provided with bolt-receiving openings and with a depending flange, a strengthening plate secured to the ring and to the flange at each side of each opening, one of said plates being also secured to the adjacent channel-bar, and a bolt-retaining plate secured to the ring and to the strengthening plates.

7. A gun-platform having a, support upon which a gun may be mounted, bars secured to the support at opposite sides, said bars diverging rearwardly to points beyond the support, braces pivoted to the side-bars at opposite sides of the support and movable between active and inactive positions, a stay for each brace pivoted to the side-bar for engagement of the end of said stay with the brace, and means for securing the end of each stay to its brace in both its active and inactive relations.

8. A gun-platform having a central support on which the gun may be mounted, bars secured to the support at opposite sides and meeting at an apex, said bars diverging rearwardly to points beyond the support, a crossbar connecting the side-bars at the rear of the support, platformsupporting feet carried beneath the side-bars adjacent to the apex and to the rear extremities, braces pivoted to the side-bars at opposite sides of the central support to extend outwardly therefrom, and platform-retaining feet carried beneath the braces, all the feet being at substantially equal distances from, the center of the support and spaced by substantially equal angles about said center when the braces are extended.

9. A wheeled gun-platform including a gunsupport, diverging bars secured at opposite sides of the support, an axle-bar connecting the diverging ends of the side-bars, there being at each end of the axle-bar a bore having portions of different diameters decreasing inwardly, an axle provided with portions fitting the different bores, securing means arranged to force the axle into place in the bores, and a wheel rotatable on each axle.

10. A wheeled gun-platform including a gunsupport, bars secured at opposite sides of the support, an axle-bar connecting the ends of the sidebars, there being at each end of the axle-bar a bore having portions of different diameters decreasing inwardly, axles provided with portions fitting the different bores, there being cooperating slots through opposite sides of each end of the axle-bar and through the cooperating axle, said slots having at one end inclined walls, and a tapered key passing through the slots and engaging the inclined walls.

11. A wheeled gun-platform including a central support for the gun, bars secured to the support at opposite sides, a vertical sleeve to which the bars converge and to which they are secured, a forward wheeled truck having plates extending above and below the ends of the sleeve and provided with openings for registration with the passage through the sleeve, a pintle passing through the plate-openings and through the passage, an axle-bar secured to the diverging rear extremities of the side-bars, and wheels rotatable upon the opposite ends of the axle-bar.

2. A wheeled gun-platform including a central support for the gun, bars secured to the support at opposite sides, a vertical sleeve to which the bars converge and to which they are secured, a forward wheeled truck having plates extending above and below the ends of the sleeve and provided with openings for registration with the passage through the sleeve, the passage and openings through said sleeve and plates having portions of different diameters decreasing downwardly, a pintle provided with portions fitting the sleeve portions, an axle-bar secured to the diverging rear extremities of the side-bars, and wheels rotatable upon the opposite ends of the axle-bar.

13. A wheeled gun-platform including a central support for the gun, bars secured to the support at opposite sides, a vertical sleeve to which the bars converge and to which they are secured, a forward wheeled truck haying plates extending above and, below the ends of the sleeve and provided with openings for registration with the passage through the sleeve, a pintle passing through the plate-openings and through the passage, an axle-bar secured to the diverging rear extremities of the side-bars, wheels rotatable upon the opposite ends of the axle-bar, and means for locking the truck in longitudinal alinement with the platform.

MIE'I'I-I MAESER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

